


Ice and Fire

by Lauriana25



Series: The Baby Diaries [15]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Heavy Angst, History, Implied Kidnapping, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Omega Farms, Past Abuse, Proud!Yuuri, Reference to another original character who we all hate!, Scenting, Stress Nesting, Strong Language, Strong!Victor, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 11:31:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17058989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lauriana25/pseuds/Lauriana25
Summary: Everyone thought that omega farms were a thing of the past. A horror story.History has a way of repeating itself. And Victor will be damned if he's going to let it carry on!





	Ice and Fire

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! My apologies for being quiet lately. I'm afraid RL is getting on top of me and I'm struggling to focus on writing.
> 
> In fact, if it hadn't been for **IncandescentAntelope** this chapter might not have been written. So thank you so much IA, for beta reading this chapter, for being my sounding board and basically giving me the kick up the backside I needed <3
> 
> This chapter is _HEAVY_! There's a lot of angst, with references to some dark stuff. So read with that in mind, and I hope you like it.
> 
> xxxx

               Yuuri was in the kitchen preparing dinner when he became aware of Victor’s sudden shift in mood. It hit him in the back of his head across their Bond like a smack, a sudden flood of anger and disgust that was so unlike his omega’s usual mood that it startled him. Frightened him.

               He dropped the knife on the counter and ran into the living room, startling Makkachin in the process, the poodle picking up the surge in the alpha’s protective gene as he headed to his mate.

                “Victor?” Yuuri called as he headed to the living room, his voice slightly louder and shakier than he’d intended. “What is it?”

                He found Victor perched on the edge of the sofa, eyes glued to the television. His hands were clenched on his knees, his knuckles white and his chest was heaving under his lavender-coloured jumper. The smell of cinnamon was rolling off the omega in waves, knocking Yuuri sick.

                But it was the look in Victor’s eyes that sickened him the most; wide, unblinking, wet with unshed tears and dilated with horror. He’d only seen that look once before. And he had sworn he’d never let that look foul his beautiful husband’s face again.

                He released a gentle coil of his own scent, alerting the omega to his presence, reassuring him that his mate was here to help him. Victor quickly blinked and turned his head, staring up at Yuuri for a moment, like he had woken up from a dream. Or a nightmare.

                “Alpha…” Victor whispered hoarsely, his basic instincts momentarily taking over, reaching out for his mate in his distress. Yuuri closed the gap between them, taking his outstretched hand gently in his.

                “What is it, Vitya?” Yuuri crooned, a rumbling growl vibrating in his chest. His husband said nothing, instead turning his head back to the television with a thick swallow, his Adam’s Apple bobbing hard. Yuuri followed Victor’s gaze, settling next to him on the sofa, his hands still gently cupping his mate’s.

                _“…and now, more on today’s top story; police have shut down what is believed to be an omega farm in a village on the outskirts of Manchester, England. Several omegas, both male and female, have been rushed to hospital and a gang of ten alphas have been taken into custody. Though we cannot confirm this at this stage, it is believed that the victims showed signs of having recently given birth, though no children were found in the vicinity…”_

                Yuuri felt his jaw tighten and he forced himself to bite down a snarl. This was the third report of this kind in the past month; the first one, in a town in Spain, had shook Victor to the core – so much so he had hidden himself in a Stress Nest, something he hadn’t done since he was with…Yuuri shook with anger at the memory of his beloved omega, trembling and sobbing under a pile of Yuuri’s jumpers and t shirts, refusing to come out until the alpha had sworn on their Bond that no one was coming for him. That no one was going to take him away. That his alpha was there to protect him. It had taken Yuuri two whole days to coax Victor out of the nest, and even then the omega clung to him like a limpet for another whole day, whimpering and flashing huge, sparkling eyes if Yuuri so much as went to the bathroom without him.

                The second time, the reports had revealed the omega farm to be somewhere just outside of St Petersburg. Victor had flown into a rage, hissing and snarling at the television, throwing furniture around the room like he was attacking some invisible assailant until Yuuri had had to alpha command him to stop before he hurt himself. It was only after Yuuri had held him in his arms for an hour that Victor had eventually calmed down enough to tell him that the farm was found in a town near where he’d grown up and one of the omegas pictured in the reports had been in his class at school. His omega instincts had kicked in, the nurturing gene calling for him to give the woman an omega wrapping and he couldn’t handle being too far away to offer any help. They had finally managed to track the woman down online and Victor sent a message. She did not reply, which made Victor cry for another day, though Yuuri had managed to keep him in their bed rather than building another Stress Nest.

                This time, however, Yuuri sensed no panic or fury. Victor was angry, that was easy to tell from the tightness of his jaw and the shallow huffs of breath, and he was distressed, judging from the cinnamon that clung in the air. But he seemed more in control of his emotions, especially now Yuuri was there to hold his hand (or rather, let Victor grip his hand until it felt like the tiny bones were getting crushed). Victor reached for the remote and turned the news off with a heavy sigh.

                “They’re coming back, aren’t they?” the omega’s voice was thick with raw emotion as he turned to his husband. “It’s not just a one-off thing. The farms are coming back.”

                Yuuri gripped Victor’s hand, trying to enfold his husband with reassuring pheromones, but even he felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He remembered reading about omega farms in history class; during the war, omega farms were like concentration camps. Omegas, both male and female, were separated from their families and mates and forced to breed with soldiers, their offspring forcibly removed from their parents before the hatchling bond could form and then sold to wealthy officers or allies. By the time the war was over, it was reckoned that hundreds of children had been conceived in these abysmal camps. Many of the omegas were either driven insane with despair of losing their children or committed suicide. The soldiers who ran the farms were tried and convicted as war criminals, only with one major difference.

                Soldiers who ran POW camps were imprisoned for life. Soldiers who ran omega farms were castrated and thrown into alpha prisons. None of them survived the first year of imprisonment.

                Omega farms became horror stories that over time faded into the background; everyone pretended they never happened, though they prayed they never started again.

                Yuuri wrapped his arms around Victor, releasing more of his warming vanilla scent until the cinnamon tones of his mate’s scent relaxed back to his normal rose fragrance.

                “I won’t let anyone touch you, Vitya.” Yuuri wasn’t sure if he said that to comfort his husband or himself. But it seemed to do the trick; Victor’s shoulders slumped and he let out a tiny purr against his shoulder.

                ~I know, lyubov moya. Spasibo.~

                Makkachin began to yap excitedly just before there was a frantic knocking on the front door. Yuuri shot up off the sofa, growling low and quietly, his alpha senses reaching out to detect any threat to his home. He stalked towards the front door, gently pulling on Makkachin’s collar to bring him to heel as he peeked out of the spy glass in the front door.

                “Easy, boy.” Yuuri soothed the yapping poodle as he opened the door. His keen nose caught the scent of cherry and grape just as he was knocked to the wall with a thud, arms suddenly wrapped tight around his neck and his shirt instantly soaked with tears. Another pair of arms quickly added to the weight and Yuuri’s inner alpha was roaring, the scent of multiple distressed omegas making him dizzy.

                ~Yuuri? What’s going on?~ Victor called from the living room, a whine coming across their Bond as he caught the scents in the hall.

                The alpha struggled to keep himself and the Crispino twins standing as they clung to him, sobbing uncontrollably. He might have been an alpha, but he still felt like he wasn’t as strong as others like JJ or Otabek.

                “Guys?” he kept his voice soft and soothing, his chest heaving when two pairs of violet eyes blinked up at him, whimpering. “What’s happened?”

                Mikey sniffed, rubbing his eyes with his arm. “W-where’s Victor?” the panic in his voice was almost tangible as he sought out the older omega, violet eyes darting all around the hall.

                “He’s in the living room. Mikey, what’s happened?” Yuuri repeated, still holding Sara as she sobbed, slowly guiding her out of the hall. He sent a quick burst of his scent into the living room, alerting his mate to the fact that the omega with him was in fact a friend. The last thing he wanted was for Victor to get upset at the sight of another omega in his arms, even if it was Sara.

                Mikey all but ran into the living room, his tanned face scrunching up as he started sobbing again. Victor jumped up from the sofa, catching the Italian omega in a tight embrace and whining loudly, his inner omega reaching out to his friend.

                “Vi-Victor! I…we…they - ”

                “Deep breaths, Mikey,” Victor soothed, the older omega enveloping his friend in his rose scent, a loud purr rumbling from his chest as he hugged him. Yuuri ushered Sara to the sofa and Victor led Mikey, before Yuuri stepped aside to allow his husband to cuddle his friends to him in an omega wrapping, “tell me what happened.”

                Mikey drew a shuddering breath, nuzzling against Victor’s neck, drawing comfort from the proximity of another omega. He glanced over to his sister, checking that she was okay. A quick nod of her long hair gave him some reassurance and he pulled his phone from his pocket, handing it to Yuuri.

                “At first we thought it was a crank, some bored alpha trying to get a reaction out of us. But since the last raid, it’s been getting worse.”

                Yuuri felt his inner alpha begin to stir at the heavy melancholy in Mikey’s voice before he’d even read the messages that were open on his phone. What he read made his hands shake and his lips curl back into a vicious snarl.

                _“I’d love to breed with you. Either of you, I’m not picky.”_

_“I wonder how many babies I could get out of you before I wrecked you?”_

_“I bet you’d make such cute little noises when I fill you with my huge cock.”_

_“You’re both virgins, right? I’d love to be the first in those tight holes of yours.”_

_“Whaddya say you let a nice, big alpha take you both for a ride? I’d love to hear you scream for me.”_

_“I’m sure people would pay top dollar for one of your babies.”_

                Sara bit back another whimper, Victor’s protective scent comforting her enough to stop her trembling. “They’re all from anonymous numbers, and even when we manage to block them, they just switch to social media. I shut down my Twitter account when I saw the news today – I knew there’d be more messages from these…monsters!”

                “You need to show these to the police!” Yuuri desperately struggled to keep his voice level. He felt the primal urge to hunt down the sick alphas that had threatened his friends and make them suffer. Victor looked up at him, his sapphire eyes sparkling with an urgent light, telling him that he needed him to stay calm. “There are steps they can take, ways of finding these people - ”

                “You want us to go to the police? Police are alphas! They probably want the omega farms to start again too!”

                Yuuri gawped slack-jawed as Mikey snapped at him. He found that so hard to believe; if the police felt even half as strongly as he did about omega farms, they’d be livid at the idea of omegas being abused and humiliated in this manner.

                “Think about it!” Mikey growled, his hands flapping animatedly. “They’ve only publicly uncovered three omega farms – who knows how many they’re covering up? Or for how long? Maybe they never really went away. Maybe there’s always been some sicko out there, kidnapping omegas just to knock them up and rip their babies out of them, all for money.”

                “Mikey, please - ” Sara whimpered, reaching for her brother with a beseeching purr, fresh tears clinging to her eyelashes.

                “I’m sorry, Sara.” Her twin sighed, taking her hand in his as he sat back down. “I…I’ve never been this scared since my first heat when I was away from home!”

                Yuuri glared back at the phone when a new message pinged up. He felt the three omegas stare at the phone like it was a feral animal and fought the urge to just throw it out of the window. He slowly clicked on the message and immediately snarled, his blood boiling.

                It was a photo of Sara and Mikey. At least, it was their faces. The bodies were clearly not theirs. And there was no way either of the twins would pose in such a disgusting way, or agree to being photographed in the throes of passion. The photo had a caption:

                _“You. Me. Tonight. See you at your place xxx”_

“You’re staying here tonight.” Yuuri said flatly, his voice trembling with rage. “And I’m calling Yurio and Otabek – there’s no way I’m letting any of you be alone until I’ve gone to the police with this.”

                “Go to the police with what?” Victor went over to him, but Yuuri held the phone to his chest, hiding the vile message from his husband. “Show me.”

                Yuuri reluctantly handed over the phone, unable to object to the tone of Victor’s voice. He kept a hand on Victor’s arm as he read the messages, trying to keep his touch gentle and reassuring as the omega began to shake.

                After a few minutes in silence, Victor reached for his own phone and began searching through his contacts, his mouth set in a firm line and his brow knitted together.

                ~Vitya?~ Yuuri whispered across their bond. ~Who are you calling?~

                ~A friend of mine in PR. It’s time to put an end to this.~

                ~What do you mean?~

                Victor glanced over at Sara and Mikey. They were both staring up at him, eyes huge like saucers and tinged pink with unshed tears, clinging to each other and trembling. They looked so frightened and small, not at all like the confident athletes he’d always known them as.

                He’d be damned if some sick psycho was going to keep them this way. Enough was enough.

                “One thing they always seem to skip when they teach you about secondary genders in school; never piss off an omega and not expect to get your eyes scratched out.”

***

                A week later, Yuuri stood in a small dressing room waiting for Victor to get ready. He leaned against the table, arms folded across his chest and his left foot hooked over his right.

                “I still don’t like this.” He said with a resigned sigh. He knew he couldn’t change his husband’s mind, but that didn’t stop him from worrying.

                In just a few days, Victor had managed to coordinate a huge press conference, thanks to Lucy, a beta woman with fiery hair and a temper to match. Between the two of them, they had convinced every major television network, newspaper and radio station to cover the event, gathered all of their omega friends and the chief of police – a gruff looking alpha called Sampson – all with one thing in mind.

                Victor was going to publicly demand the abolishment of omega farms once and for all.

                Yuuri had been astounded by the transformation in Victor over the last few days. He had gone from a scared, angry omega into a force to be reckoned with; his eyes sparkled with a blistering determination as he spoke confidently on the phone, his face lit up as he rehearsed his opening speech, and Yuuri had only ever seen him this focused when he was preparing a new program for a competition. He was reminded of the strong omega that he had first fallen in love with all those years ago.

                “I know you’re not, my love,” Victor called from behind a partition screen as he got dressed, “but I appreciate your support. I hope you know that.”

                Yuuri’s inner alpha puffed with pride at the praise. “I would support you even if you decided to ride out to those farms on a white charger.”

                Victor cooed. “Do you think I should do that next?”

                “WHAT?!”

                Victor chuckled. “Just kidding, lyubov moya. I can’t stand horses, you know that!”

                Yuuri rolled his eyes and shook his head. His nerves were on edge as it was without Victor teasing him like that. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and doubled checked that everything was running smoothly. Again.

                Lucy had sent an endless stream of messages to both of them as she ran through her checklist for the day, keeping them both informed. All the added security had been put in place, the media were now in the conference room, ready for Victor to make his speech, all the soundchecks had been given the thumbs up, and everyone had been suitably dressed and styled for the event. Yuuri had been wary of the beta woman at first, her blunt attitude almost frightening even to an alpha, but he had to admit, she knew how to get results. And he quickly began to admire how people gravitated to her; it was like watching a general order her troops around – everyone did as they were told, and they held her in high regard.

                “So, what do you think?”

                Yuuri turned his head and nearly dropped his phone when Victor finally stepped from behind the screen. Dressed in a sharp designer suit, with a black fitted jacket and figure-hugging black trousers, crisp white shirt and sleek black tie with shiny black shoes, the omega was practically radiating with confidence and charm. Victor spun on his heel, giving his husband the perfect view of his beautiful rear. He giggled when he heard Yuuri growl, almost possessively, as he winked at him.

                “You didn’t answer my question, Yuuuurriiiiii.” Victor teased.

                “You…you look phenomenal!” Yuuri finally found his words, blinking wide-eyed and blushing. He smiled proudly when Victor’s wedding ring sparkled in the light. “You’ll certainly get everyone’s attention.”

                Victor wrapped his arms around Yuuri’s neck, kissing him sweetly. “You know I only care about getting your attention.”

                “Oh, you always have my attention!” Yuuri crooned, nuzzling against Victor’s scent gland. “Do you want me to…?”

                Victor purred loudly. “Please.”

                Yuuri smiled proudly again as he released a warm wave of his scent against his mate’s skin, leaving a soft kiss against Victor’s neck as he nudged his nose over his scent gland. Victor tilted his head to one sound, sighing softly and purring happily as his alpha scented him, vanilla seeping into his skin and instantly calming him.

                ~I’ll be just offstage if you need me, Koibito.~ Yuuri reassured his husband over their bond. They had agreed in advance that Victor would be the only one on the platform for the conference. Although Yuuri wasn’t thrilled at the idea of not being next to Victor to show his support, he knew how important this was to him. This was something Victor had to do for himself.

                ~I know, zolotse. Thank you.~ Victor hugged Yuuri close, breathing in more of his scent to calm himself. Now that it was time, his heart started to pound in his chest and he felt a sheen of perspiration form on his brow. He was excited, anxious, scared – he couldn’t pin down one emotion. It had been a long time since he’d felt like this.

                They were startled by a sharp knocking on the door. A young woman with wavy auburn hair opened the door. Her large eyes glinted behind her purple-rimmed glasses as she looked up from her tablet. Dressed in a navy pencil skirt and simple white blouse, she was every inch a business woman. Yuuri caught the citrus scent wafting from the beta woman and smiled at her.

                Lucy whistled when she saw Victor in his suit, looking him up and down with an appreciative smile. “Damn, Victor! I forgot how well you clean up. You’re going to blow them all away before you even say a word.”

                Victor waved his hand dismissively, but Yuuri caught the pitch in his rose scent from the compliment. “Everything ready, Lucy?”

                The beta woman nodded. “We’re good to go. Let’s go get ‘em!”

                Yuuri shook his head with a chuckle as she left as quickly as she had arrived, tapping on her tablet furiously. “Maybe I should introduce her to Phichit – she’s as frantic as him!”

                Victor laughed quietly, fiddling with his tie. Yuuri smiled fondly and patted his hand. The omega let his hands drop to his sides, letting his mate straighten his tie for him.

                “There. Perfect!” Yuuri beamed, kissing Victor on the hand. He gently rubbed his thumb over his mate’s knuckles.

                ~Are you ready?~

                Victor drew a deep, cleansing breath and fixed a smile to his face. It had been a few years since Yuuri had last seen that smile; dazzling as a light bulb, but just as void of warmth. His signature smile.

                ~Ready.~

***

                Victor had to blink several times as he stepped up to the podium, the flashes from what must have been fifty cameras almost blinding him. Had it been so long since he was last interviewed? It was almost daunting, given why he had called this press conference, but he felt himself slipping into his professional persona, like slipping into a well-worn dinner jacket.

                He glanced at the other people on the stage with him, sitting behind a table covered in a white cloth. Sara and Mikey, Chris and Minami were sat stony-faced, eyes either focused on him or on the wall behind the press. He purred softly in their direction and smiled softly when each of them purred back, a tiny strand of their scents joining his in a sign of solidarity. They had agreed to be on stage with him, to put their names and faces to his cause. It would raise the profile of his conference, but he had warned them of the backlash that might come with it. When they had all remained steadfast, Victor had felt his heart swell with pride.

                ‘Whoever said omegas are meek and feeble has no idea what they’re talking about!’

                Sitting at the end of the table closest to Victor was the chief of police, Sampson. Victor smiled at him politely, flinching slightly when the gesture wasn’t returned. Sampson, a broad-shouldered alpha with short black hair, curls tight against his scalp, glared at the photographers as he sat rigidly, his powerful aura pouring out of his dark skin like heat from a fire. He wasn’t angry, Victor judged from the shift in his earthy scent, merely uneasy. Perhaps he didn’t like being in the spotlight. Or maybe Mikey was right and there were alphas on the police force that supported the use of omega farms. Victor quickly pushed that thought away. Going into this with an accusation on his mind wasn’t going to help matters.

                Turning his attention to the waiting press, he cleared his throat and stepped closer to the microphone.

                “Thank you all for coming here today. I won’t beat around the bush. You have all heard the reports of the rise in omega farms. No doubt some of you have hoped that the rumours were false. That these were isolated incidents. I know I hoped as much, with all my heart. But with each reported case, I have felt my hope fade.

                And I cannot stand by any longer. I will not sit on my hands while my fellow omegas are abused. I will not ignore the ache in my heart when I hear of parents being torn from their new-borns, their children sold to the highest bidder like cars at an auction. I will not close my eyes to men and women being taken from their homes and used like cattle. Rape is an ugly word, but it is the truth. No one in their right mind – secondary gender aside – would willingly put themselves in such a harsh, heartless environment.

                The police have done a fine job in finding these disgusting gangs so far. I have nothing but support for Chief Sampson and his taskforce,” he paused briefly to nod in the alpha’s direction, “and I do not want anyone to misunderstand me; I am not demanding more from the police. I am demanding more of everyone.

                For we must all work together to bring an end to the omega farms. We are humans, not animals. We all love and care and protect each other – when did it become okay for a select few to be traumatised for money? When did it become justified to take babies from their parents just to pass them to the rich and the soulless? When did it become alright for alphas to subject omegas to such brutality? Who decided that alphas had that right? Omegas didn’t!”

                He stopped abruptly, dragging air into his lungs in painful gulps. His palms were sweating and trembling, his heart was racing.

                ~Vitya? Is everything okay?~ Yuuri’s voice filled his mind, reaching out to him over their bond. Victor felt his husband try and offer comfort, but it wasn’t enough. He knew he was right about doing this press conference, so why was he suddenly panicking?

                He turned his head, running a hand through his fringe, when his eyes fell upon Sara and Mikey, who looked back up at him with huge, violet eyes. Their hands were clasped together on the table, supporting each other. Next to them, Chris smiled proudly up at him, giving him a tiny wink and crooked smile, and Minami smiled determinedly at him, a fanged tooth poking over his lower lip.

                Victor suddenly felt himself being enveloped in cherry, grape, tulip and bluebell and began to feel calmer. His friends were reaching out to him, lending him their strength and support, reminding him why he was there today. Why they were all here today.

                Today was not about him. It was about omegas everywhere. It was about being strong for them.

                “Omegas didn’t.” he continued, standing taller than before, thanks to the support of his friends. “Omegas have never asked to be sought for their wombs, for their offspring. Omegas have never given permission to be used like battery hens. Omegas have never said that it’s okay to take their children before the hatchling bond has taken hold, leaving an empty void in its place.

                So I stand before you today, not as Victor Katsuki, or even as Victor Nikiforov. Not as an athlete. But as an omega. As a man who has had enough. I am declaring war. A war against the omega farms. I am making it my personal mission to see to it that omega farms, and the sick individuals that run them, are thrown back into the dark shadows of history where they belong. I pledge to save any omega that has suffered at the hands of misguided alphas. I vow to bring an end to the nightmare.

                The time has come to stand together and seek justice for the victims, both those who have been rescued and those who are still waiting to be rescued. The time has come to end their suffering. And I will be there to see it happen.”

                Yuuri held his breath as Victor gave his speech, his right hand pressed over his heart. As he watched his mate grow more and more confident as he spoke, how he held everyone’s gaze as he addressed every reporter, every camera, in turn, he grew more and more proud of his husband.

                His strong, powerful, beautiful omega. His Vitya.

                He wanted to cheer and sing his mate’s praises through their bond, but kept silent, not wanting to break Victor’s concentration. But he couldn’t stop the surge of his pheromones and scent, pride and love filling the vicinity just offstage. Lucy, who had been standing next to him, shuffled slightly to one side with a wrinkle of her nose.

                “Sorry,” he whispered with a blush, “but – just look at him!”

                Lucy rolled her eyes at the dramatic sigh that rushed past his lips as he turned his gaze back to Victor. “He’s certainly got them eating out of his hand. I think he’s going to get much faster results than the police if he carries on charming the press.”

                “Thank you, for helping him do this.” Yuuri smiled at the beta woman. “This means a lot to him.”

                Lucy beamed at him. “My pleasure. My mate is an omega and the idea of someone doing this to him just makes my skin crawl. The bastards need hunting down and have their own balls shoved down their throats!”

                Yuuri blinked wide-eyed at her. Betas were normally placid and easy-going. For Lucy to be so angry, so bloodthirsty, she must have felt as strongly as he did about the farms. He nodded grimly at the fire in her hazel eyes and turned back to the stage.

                The farms needed to be shut down. Permanently. And his husband was going to be the one to see it done!

                As Victor effortlessly and smoothly answered all questions thrown at him from reporters, Yuuri let his eyes wander around the room, his alpha senses picking up individual scents and moods. Most of the reporters were betas and he sensed their professional neutrality for the subject, focused on telling Victor’s story rather than letting their own opinions cloud their judgement. Some were omegas and Yuuri felt their fear and disgust smack him in the face and he fought the urge to growl, his protective gene wanting to find a threat and tear its throat out.

                That’s when he felt it. At the very back of the room, there was a vile scent, growing stronger as Victor continued to field questions. The scent drew a low growl from Yuuri’s chest, making Lucy jump.

                “What is it?” her eyes grew wide and she pressed a hand to his chest as he automatically took a step towards the stage, growling.

                “Alpha.” Yuuri snarled, amber eyes flashing dangerously behind his glasses. “Troublemaker. I can smell it!”

                Lucy whirled round, eyes searching the room. “There can’t be! Security would have stopped them. I told them to check everyone’s pass when they came in - ”

                Yuuri stopped listening to her as a man at the back of the room suddenly stood up, interrupting Victor. A tall Caucasian man with shoulder-length blonde hair and piercing blue eyes in a cheap navy-blue suit. And his self-absorbed aura made Yuuri want to retch.

                “This all sounds like a lot of shit-stirring to me!” the alpha proclaimed with a smug smirk. “I think you’re just acting out of petty jealousy.”

                Minami leapt out of his seat, startling Chris next to him. “Who the hell are you? What gives you the right to speak to Victor like that?” the youngest omega barked, fists slammed onto the table. Chris quickly moved to usher back into his chair, but the fiery blonde shrugged his hands away.

                The alpha chuckled. “You got balls, kid. Bet your heat is a real firecracker!”

                Minami drew his lips back and hissed.

                Sampson stood up slowly. “Young man, I suggest you leave before I arrest you for disorderly conduct.” His voice was soft, but his commanding aura quickly filled the room. The blonde alpha flinched a little at the strength of the aura, but didn’t move.

                Victor turned to face him square in the eyes. The alpha winked at him.

                “Jealousy, you say?” Victor said coolly. “Care to elaborate?”

                The alpha snorted. “Oh please! Everyone knows all about you – the great Victor Nikiforov; an omega who can’t produce babies. Or is it your pathetic alpha that can’t knock you up? There’s been so many stories, I get confused.”

                “Clearly.” Victor snapped before taking a deep breath. Even with all of Lucy’s security measures, he had prepared himself for something like this to happen. He knew someone would sneak in just to cause trouble. “Tell me – I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name?”

                The alpha smirked. “Alphonse. I knew your mate.”

                ~I’ve never met this asshole in my life!~ Yuuri growled across the bond.

                ~He’s not talking about you, my love.~

                Yuuri snarled and clenched his fists. Lucy grabbed his shoulders and pushed him against the wall.

                “What the hell are you doing?” Yuuri yelled, trying to push past her, his inner alpha roaring at him to get to his mate and help him.

                “I’m sorry, Yuuri,” Lucy grunted, struggling to keep him pressed to the wall, “but Victor made me promise to do this if something like this happened.”

                “What?” he bellowed, both out loud and across the bond, fury curling in his gut.

                ~I’m sorry, zolotse.~ Victor whispered calmly, his rose scent filling Yuuri’s head in an attempt to soothe him. ~I have to do this on my own. Please, trust me.~

                ~It’s that bastard I don’t trust!~

                Yuuri heard Victor scoff in his mind. ~Watch this.~

                Victor’s lips curled upwards at the corners in a cold smile. He leaned casually on the podium, bringing a finger to his lips as he smiled at the alpha.

                “Tell me, _Alphonse,_ ” he drew out the name in a soft hiss, “what does my fertility have to do with torturing omegas?”

                Alphonse grinned darkly. “Plenty, I should think! I reckon you’re so jealous that no one asked you to have their babies, you’re putting this show on to hide it. What’s the matter, _Vit’enka_? Upset at being passed over for a prettier, better little omega?”

                Victor felt his stomach churn at the use of his old name but he didn’t let it show. Never again.

                “I haven’t gone by that name in a long time. Your source needs to update their information. My name is Victor Katsuki. And believe you me, the only thing I feel about these farms is disgust.”

                Yuuri was astounded by how calm his husband was, even over their bond. There was no sign of distress coming from his mate. He just continued to smile at the alpha, ice pouring out of him like he was chilling the very air around him. It took Yuuri a second to realise why Victor wasn’t distressed anymore. When he realised, his heart filled with pride.

                Victor didn’t care anymore about his past. He was finally at peace with it. And he was ready to face it head-on.

                “Pfft!” Alphonse snorted, the man’s alpha swelling as eyes became fixed on him. “Everyone knows omegas love sex – especially sex with alphas! That’s all these places are – alphas and omegas getting together for a good time. But hey, I’m sure I can put in a good word for you if you want.”

                Victor’s smile grew bigger and colder. He tapped his finger against his lips and tipped his head to one side, his fringe sliding over an azure eye. Alphonse’s eyes grew wide for a moment, looking like he had won a small victory.

                “Tell me, alpha…in what universe would any omega enjoy having sex against their will? Did you not have sex education in school? Omegas do love sex, that is true - who doesn’t? – if it’s consensual. Even during a heat, rape is still rape. So where did you get this insane idea that anyone would say yes to that? In fact,” Victor continued, clasping the edges of the podium as he smiled at the alpha, pouring every ounce of ice out of his blood and into his words, “in what universe would _anyone_ , omega or otherwise, let you and your pinprick you call a dick anywhere near them?”

                Alphonse spluttered and flushed, taken completely by surprise by the cool venom in Victor’s voice. Victor barked a laugh, a frosty, joyless noise at the alpha’s discomfort.

                “What’s the matter, Alphonse? Not used to a little omega telling you no?” Victor fluttered his eyelashes at Alphonse, feeling a surge of adrenaline flow through him. How much of that was himself, finally embracing the pain of his past and releasing it onto the unsuspecting idiot, and how much of that was Yuuri, pouring wave after wave of alpha pheromones over their bond, he couldn’t quite tell. But he was enjoying making the man squirm. “Though you have given me food for thought. Maybe we need to start with sex education in our schools, teaching our children that the illusion that alphas are the dominant gender is old-fashioned and out-of-date. After all, if it weren’t for fertile omegas, alphas would have probably died out a long time ago. So, if you think about it, shouldn’t we open alphas farms so omegas can use them to make babies? How does that sound, Alphonse? Is that better?”

                Yuuri grinned wickedly as the alpha’s face paled as Victor continued his verbal assault. The man had clearly come to create trouble, to upstage Victor, and all he’d accomplished was making Victor look a million times better, stronger, brighter than before.

                Victor turned to Chief Sampson. “Chief, I believe this man said something about “putting in a good word for me”; I don’t know about you, but that sounded like he has information regarding an omega farm. Perhaps he can help you with your enquiries.”

                The dark-skinned alpha rose from his seat slowly, eyes boring holes into Alphonse’s skull. “I believe you are right, Mister Katsuki. It’s good to see that this press conference is already giving us some excellent results.”

                Alphonse scrambled from his seat and ran to the door, but he wasn’t fast enough. As quick as Yuuri could blink, officers and security guards poured out of the door and pounced on the alpha, all barking commands for him to cease and desist. He was dragged from the room, screaming threats and profanities.

                “You won’t get them all! They’re always moving! I fucking hope you and your pretty friends end up in one of them – I know a few alphas who’d just love to take you apart!”

                “Well, I guess we can add threatening behaviour and aiding and abetting criminals to your charges, can’t we? Get him out of here!” Sampson barked, waving his arm around as his squad dragged Alphonse out, following them to the awaiting van.

                For a few moments, the room was filled with a heavy silence. The press were soon scrambling for Victor’s attention.

                “How do you feel about the threat?”

                “Have you changed your mind about wanting to help the police?”

                “What are your plans going forward?”

                “How are you going to help omegas in the future?”

                Lucy stepped sharply onto the stage and gently pushed her way in front of Victor, her hazel eyes flashing determinedly at the press.

                “We shall answer all of your questions in due course, but given what has just happened, we think it would be prudent at this time to give Chief Sampson adequate time to investigate the new information. Thank you.”

                And with a firm nod to the cameras, she placed her hand on the small of Victor’s back and ushered him backstage into Yuuri’s waiting arms. The omega all but collapsed into his husband’s embrace, panting for breath and trembling like he’d just run flat out. Yuuri released a powerful blast of his scent, smothering the anxiety from his mate and replacing it with nothing but love.

                “I am so proud of you, Vitya!” Yuuri said breathlessly, peppering Victor’s cheeks with kisses. His inner alpha was puffed up with pride and he was sure his grin was going to hurt his cheeks.

                Victor smiled back at him, returning his kisses with a huge sigh of relief. “Really, Yuuri? Even after that asshole - ”

                “Especially then! Vitya, you showed that arrogant son of a bitch that omegas are not to be challenged. You have changed the way people will view omegas for the rest of time!”

                Victor snorted. “You’re overexaggerating, zolotse!”

                “Who cares if I am?” Yuuri laughed excitedly. “I know I’m right! My husband – _my mate_ – has changed the world, and I will say that ‘til my last breath.”

                Lucy rolled her eyes and chuckled. “You two should come with a health warning: Don’t stand too close if you’re diabetic!”

                Yuuri blushed at the clip of her comment, whilst Victor laughed brightly and hugged his husband tighter for good measure before offering his hand to Lucy. “Thank you for all your help.”

                Lucy slapped his hand away and pulled the two of them into a tight hug. “Anything for the Katsuki’s. Now,” she suddenly stepped away, leaving the two men feeling slightly jolted, “I’ll try and get some order back into the chaos out there, but you guys can slip away if you need to. I’m sure the others can take some questions for the rest of today.”

                “Just give me a minute.” Victor said calmly, smiling a bit warmer than before. Lucy returned the smile before heading back onstage, barking at the reporters to simmer down.

                “You sure you want to go back out there?” Yuuri asked with a worried frown, checking his mate for signs of exhaustion or upset. He was surprised to find none.

                Victor nodded, his fringe tickling his cheek. “I’ve only just started. I meant what I said; I’m going to work hard to see an end to all of this.” He took Yuuri’s hands in his. “Yuuri, I never told you this but…Richard used to threaten me with omega farms, telling me he was going to sell me to one if I didn’t behave “like a good omega should”, or saying he would go to one and fuck another omega until they gave him a son.”

                Yuuri began to shake with fury. “Why have you never told me this?”

                “Because compared to everything he actually _did_ do to me, the threats were empty and not worth mentioning until now. I don’t remember that Alphonse guy, but if he did know Richard, he probably knows more of Richard’s friends, and I’ll bet my last dollar that every single one of them knows where to find an omega farm. Don’t you get it, Yuuri? I want to look every one of those bastards in the eye as their world caves in on them. I want them to know it was because of me they’re going to be punished.”

                Yuuri gawped at the steely flash in Victor’s sapphire eyes. He’d never seen him look like this, not even during a competition. It was like there was an intense fire, burning deep inside of his husband that had finally been allowed to burst forward.

                ‘Woe betide anyone who’s engulfed in the flames.’ He thought proudly as Victor went back onstage. His husband was positively glowing with confidence as he and the other omegas began outlining their campaign to the media. Leaning against the wall again, Yuuri smiled as he watched his friends come out of their shells again. They were no longer frightened omegas, hiding from internet trolls and crank calls. They were the faces of change, of a future where omegas wouldn’t be objectified.

                It was going to be a lot of hard work, with many challenges and roadblocks. But Yuuri knew Victor and the others were more than up to the task.

                And he couldn’t wait to watch it all happen.

**Author's Note:**

> I am so proud of these boys! Together they're going to do amazing things <3
> 
> Look out for a very, VERY special Christmas Episode of 'The Baby Diaries', which I will be posting on **CHRISTMAS DAY AKA VITYA'S BIRTHDAY!!!!**
> 
> Hope to see you all then :D In the meantime, drop me a line in the comments section xxx


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